Edwards v. Sheehan Construction Co.

115 N.E.2d 750, 124 Ind. App. 182, 1953 Ind. App. LEXIS 202
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 4, 1953
DocketNo. 18,480
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 115 N.E.2d 750 (Edwards v. Sheehan Construction Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Edwards v. Sheehan Construction Co., 115 N.E.2d 750, 124 Ind. App. 182, 1953 Ind. App. LEXIS 202 (Ind. Ct. App. 1953).

Opinion

Kendall, P. J.

Appellees filed this action to recover possession of real estate alleged to be owned by said corporation and which at the time of filing suit [184]*184was occupied by appellant under an oral conditional sales contract made on or about September 27, 1943, under the terms of which the appellant was required to pay $150.00 down, $10.00 a month until the purchase price of FIFTEEN HUNDRED ($1500.00) DOLLARS had been paid, together with interest at six (6%) percent per annum, taxes and assessments. The appellant’s theory is that damages were sought by appellees by reason of his default in monthly payments prior to filing suit. Appellees contend, however, that the appellant had terminated the oral contract and that damages were sought by reason of occupancy after filing of complaint, which contention the trial court evidently rendered his judgment on in view of rhetorical paragraph six of appellees’ complaint, which is as follows:

“That said property has- a reasonable rental value of $35.00 per month and that for each month, or fraction thereof, defendant occupies said property from and after the filing of this complaint, plaintiff is entitled to recover damages in the sum of $35.00.”

It is alleged that it was orally agreed that in case of failure of appellant for sixty (60) days to make payment when due that the contract, at the option of appellees, could be forfeited and that appellees retained payments as liquidated damages. This was denied and no evidence offered thereon; that the relationship was that of a conditional vendor and conditional purchaser and that upon appellant’s failure to carry out his part of the contract and at appellees’ election to terminate, that no further notice was required.

The relief prayed for was for an order of eviction in delivering appellees’ possession of real estate, together with FIVE HUNDRED ($500.00) DOLLARS damages for wrongful possession.

[185]*185The appellant filed answer which admitted a portion and denied a portion of the complaint. Trial by court resulted in a judgment in favor of appellees, awarding possession of the real estate, together with FOUR HUNDRED ($400.00) DOLLARS damages. The errors relied upon for reversal by appellant are the overruling of the motion for new trial, that the decision of the trial court is not sustained by sufficient evidence and is contrary to law, that the amount of recovery is erroneous, it being too large.

Motion for new trial filed containing five separate specifications. The first two relate to alleged errors of the trial court in overruling appellant’s motion for judgment and finding at the close of plaintiff’s evidence and also at the close of defendants’ evidence. Such motions, if made, are not shown in the transcript; neither are they referred to in the argument portion of appellant’s brief, nor are cases cited in support thereof. Said specifications one and two are therefore deemed waived.

It is admitted that the appellee company owned the property in question; that appellant had been in possession thereof for nearly ten years under a parol contract by which he was supposed to make payments as heretofore mentioned; that the appellant had failed to make the original down-payment but had paid NINETY ($90.00) DOLLARS but thereafter failed to make the monthly payments when due; that the appellee company, by their agents and employees, made numerous requests upon appellant for payments of contract; that on July 11, 1952, counsel for appellees sent the following letter to appellant:

[186]*186July 11, 1952
“Mr. Willie Edwards,
407 Indiana Avenue,
Indianapolis, Indiana.
Dear Mr. Edwards:
I went to the office of the Sheehan Construction Company yesterday and myself checked the record of your payments on the property at 805 Blake Street. You stated to me that your payments were current. As a matter of fact, you have never been current. The original down payment was to be $150.00 and there were to be three payments made the balance of that year, 1943, in the amount of $10.00 making $180.00 which should have been paid in 1943. Actually you paid only a total of $90.00 so January 1, 1944 you were $90.00 in arrears and some years since that time you had paid more than due that year but you in the majority of the years have not made the payments due and you are now approximately $350.00 in arrears and the Sheehan Construction Company is terminating the contract for failure to perform on your part.
“The property is, as you know, zoned for business. If you wish to buy it for $5,250.00 on contract with a payment of $1,000.00 down and payment of $75.00 per month plus insurance and taxes, the Sheehan Construction Company will enter into such Conditional Sales Contract with you.
“In the event you do not wish to do this and will not acknowledge a Quitclaim Deed from yourself and your wife to the Sheehan Construction Company that you have no interest in the property, it will be necessary for me to bring an action next week to have the court determine that you have no interest therein.”

Under the evidence and the issues thus formed, taking into consideration the fact that payments on the purchase price on said property had not been made when due, the question is, could the appellees terminate the oral contract by letter and bring an action to dispossess the appellant without written demand to the effect that the appellant pay the amount [187]*187in arrears by a specific time,' when the contract involved fails to contain a clause or provision about appellees’ right to terminate the contract upon appellant’s failure to pay when due?

There was evidence of the appellant’s negotiating with the appellees as to the purchase price upon resale of the property to him. Appellant had paid approximately $1,240.54 during the ten-year period of occupancy. From January, 1952, to April, 1953, nothing was paid on the oral contract by appellant. Neither was any tender made. This was during the period that appellant claimed that the oral contract was in effect. Notwithstanding the fact, however, that the lawsuit was filed in August, 1952, and that he had had notice of the letter of the termination thereof.

The appellant argues that when a conditional sales contract exists and the vendor permits the vendee to pay installments at irregular times and not in all things in accordance with the contract, that the vendee must, before seeking to terminate the contract, give prior notice that he will insist upon strict performance. In the instant case, the contract did not contain any provision as to a forfeiture clause. Neither is it the contention of the appellant that the relationship of landlord and tenant existed.

Sec. 3-1620, Burns’ Anno. Stat. 1933, provides as follows:

“. . . where the relation of landlord and tenant does not exist — no notice to quit shall be necessary.”

We believe under the facts of the case and the provisions of the statute immediately above quoted, that no notice to quit was required. There was evidence of probative value from which the court could determine that the appellant acknowledged [188]*188termination of the parol contract.

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177 N.E.2d 600 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1961)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
115 N.E.2d 750, 124 Ind. App. 182, 1953 Ind. App. LEXIS 202, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/edwards-v-sheehan-construction-co-indctapp-1953.